Incoming tackle’s potential excites Purdue football

This is how David Hedelin describes his strengths: athletic, fast and good footwork.

Jim Bridge doesn’t disagree.

“He’s an aggressive, athletic, tough football player,” Purdue’s offensive line coach said about the 6-foot-5, 285-pound Hedelin, a junior college transfer from City College of San Francisco who signed with the Boilermakers in February. “He’s got great foot speed. His athleticism allows him to go backward in pass protection.

“He has short area quickness and he’s got an ability to run. What I’m saying is I bet this guy is going to have a heck of a 40 time. He looks fast as well as quick.”

But here’s one twist to Hedelin’s story. He’s a native of Sweden, where he played American style football for four years before enrolling at CCSF. The 23-year Hedelin is also facing an NCAA imposed three-game suspension because he played club football in Sweden for two years after high school.

He was originally scheduled to miss five games, but Purdue worked with the NCAA to have the suspension reduced. Hedelin had committed to Michigan State in December, but opted to sign with Purdue in late February. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

“I picked Purdue because they were very helpful with the NCAA,” Hedelin said in an email.

Hedelin is one of two junior college transfers — along with Mesa Community’s Corey Clements — set to join the Boilermakers in an effort to boost the talent and depth on the offensive line. Purdue graduated its tackles after the 2013 season and needs reinforcements.

“You know what he’s got,” Bridge said. “He has an unbelievable desire to be successful. This kid loves football. He loves ‘American’ football. He loves it so much that he joined a club team and it cost him three games of his college career. This kid has a hunger and a drive to play this game. I’m excited to coach him.”

His interest in “American” football stems from an annual game between two high schools in Sweden. Hedelin said nearly every athlete joins the team.

“I thought it was very interesting,” said Hedelin, who played soccer until he was 18. “After that, I started playing outside football with a club team.”

His first contact with Purdue was during the 2013 season. Hedelin said he had 34 scholarship offers at one time, but schools started to backtrack when the talk of a suspension surfaced.

When Hedelin didn’t sign with the Spartans in early February, the relationship Bridge, offensive coordinator John Shoop and head coach Darrell Hazell built paid dividends.

“I had evaluated him, and quite frankly he was one of the top prospects we’ve ever seen,” Bridge said. “He was one of the top JUCO tackles in the country, in my opinion. I watched a lot of film trying to add some junior college players.

“When he was available, we immediately jumped in full speed because of our relationship with him. That was a factor.”

Hedelin is scheduled to arrive in West Lafayette on June 14 and summer school classes start two days later. He wanted to study business, but didn’t take enough economics classes at CCSF. Hedelin plans to major in sociology.

There will be an adjustment period for Hedelin as he attempts to settle into the routine of a first-year student at a Big Ten school and also start learning Purdue’s playbook prior to the start of training camp in August.

“He’s got to learn what to do. OK, that’s my job. I have to teach him what to do,” Bridge said. “You don’t grade on a curve in football. It’s either A or B — you did or you didn’t. There are certain kids that pick things up faster than other people.

“We have to get David to learn the system as fast as he can and get him as comfortable as we can in his surroundings and give him the necessary tools to execute properly.”